"But how come I've never noticed this before?"

As far as he'd been told, and as far as he'd estimated himself, it would take a few more decades for the cauldron to be entirely free of impurities.

He suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a small basin that landed in his hand. "It's definitely because of this Dragon-Nurturing Basin!"

There could be no other conclusion. The basin he had obtained from Qian Ting was designed to nurture enchanted treasures. Over the past six years or so, he had kept it within his sea of qi to nurture the Primordial Unity Cauldron and the Moonbreak Wings. Before he knew it, the wings had advanced to the middle grade. And while the cauldron seemed perfectly unchanged on the outside, it now seemed that it had actually been improving steadily as well.

"If that's the case, then it explains everything... I made the basic item, but the fact that it became an enchanted treasure is only due to the Primordial Unity Cauldron."

Once he grasped this point, everything fell into place. A flood of new ideas began to surface in his mind. "If it could 'raise' a Dark Blue Profound Armor, then it should be able to produce the other five as well... Maybe even that Profound Rock armor... No, even better. I could use the cauldron to mass-produce enchanted treasures! Even if the system doesn't count it toward my skill, if I succeed often enough, I'll eventually figure out the method behind it."

Failure leads to success, but those who succeed also tend to keep succeeding. These two things are not mutually exclusive. For Luo Chen, the latter could bring unexpected gains, particularly because he was specializing in defensive items. The value of such items far exceeded that of their offensive counterparts. A typical low-grade offensive enchanted treasure cost less than 100,000, and even with the ongoing wars in the Northern Sea driving prices up, the premium barely exceeded that amount. Meanwhile, a low-grade defensive enchanted treasure usually sold for fifty to eighty percent more, and in the current situation, a decent one could easily sell for as much as 300,000, maybe even more! In fact, supply often fell short of demand. At major auctions, if an item suited someone's preferences or matched their spirit root, it was not impossible for them to bankrupt themselves to obtain it.

Luo Chen could almost dive in the endless stream of wealth that lay before him!

He jumped out of the cauldron, and as he scrutinized it from the outside, his face lit up with excitement. "This cauldron is a great blessing to me!"

In his corner, Black King immediately straightened up and called out, "Congratulations, Master! Congratulations!"

"Haha, you little snake, you finally learned to read the room!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

It had to be said: This time, Black King had chosen the perfect moment to flatter him. In his delight, Luo Chen casually tossed the blue armor plate toward Black King. The latter's eyes widened. Could it be...

He had already opened his mouth wide. "Thank you, Maste—"

Suddenly, the armor plate halted midair. Luo Chen smiled and beckoned it back. "Actually, on second thought, I think that's not a good idea. Although it doesn't quite suit my mana, it's still a low-grade defensive enchanted treasure and it's worth a fortune. If I sell it, it'll also help build my reputation as an artisan master."

Black King's excitement was instantly doused, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. He slumped down on the spot. Luo Chen shook his head with a smile. "Alright, alright. You've been guarding the place and tending to the furnace for me; you deserve a reward. There are plenty of intact demonic beast corpses on Winding Island. Give me a couple of days, and I'll refine a batch of supreme-grade Imperial Nectar for you."

Hearing this, Black King perked up again. This was something he hadn't tasted for a few years now. Though it was not particularly high tier, steady consumption could gradually unlock the latent power of his bloodline. The reason he had ended up surpassing even the naturally stronger Heavenjade was precisely that he had consumed far more Imperial Nectar. As expected of a demon, he valued personal strength above all else; his best weapon was his own body.

"You can go out now. I need to sort out my next cultivation plan," said Luo Chen.

After Black King left in high spirits, Luo Chen put away his treasures and calmed his thoughts. Now that he had uncovered another function of the cauldron, he had to consider how to maximize its use. This was no trivial matter. It could expand his sources of wealth, improve his artifact creation skills, and ultimately enhance his cultivation and strength. Therefore, he needed to plan carefully and proceed without the slightest carelessness.

***

Three months later, a woman and a man walked side by side on the shore. The hem of her elegant white robe with ink bamboo patterns trailed behind her without picking up even a speck of sand. Her gaze landed on the massive figure in the ocean, which devoured and expelled large amounts of spirit energy, stirring the sea into constant upheaval. She said with both admiration and envy, "Azure Yang, that spirit beast of yours is truly remarkable. From what I can tell, it's even higher-level than we are, and it looks to me like it still has potential to grow. Are you sure it's just an ordinary Black-Scaled Giant Python?"

Luo Chen smiled casually. "I suppose I've been a bit lucky. He may not have much of a background, but he's worked hard at his cultivation. He indeed started off as a Black-Scaled Giant Python, but he's now a flood dragon, and he's really started to show the bearing of a king of the sea."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the portion of Black King's body exposed above the water. His scales used to be entirely pitch-black, but now, the color had grown richer and seemed to have a life of its own. His underbelly had turned white, and it now sported mysterious patterns resembling vines and branches, or maybe the textures of rocks. The anatomy of his head seemed to be undergoing changes as well; he still had just one fierce and imposing horn, but next to it, a bulge had formed, as if a second horn was about to emerge. A hint of majestic aura flickered around it.

The only unexpected thing was that despite years of cultivation, it had not developed dragon claws. According to Black King, this was due to both his own bloodline and the changes that occurred after devouring the Cliff Serpent's corpse. After all, the ancestral Titan Beast had no limbs either.

While Luo Chen was lost in thought, Sovereign Thatched Mountain suddenly said, "There are only three months left, right?"

Luo Chen's lips curled slightly. "Yes. In three months, I'll be heading back to the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range. After that... another five years of peace."

Sovereign Thatched Mountain blinked. "You're not worried at all about the rent for Surging Lake? It's not exactly cheap. Haven't you thought about raising your rank for better discounts?"

Luo Chen waved his hand with a smile and said with a hint of confidence, "I have my own ways of making money. The rent won't be a problem."

Sovereign Thatched Mountain sighed despondently. "Someone like you with strength and reputation to match, a Golden Core attendant, a Demon King spirit beast, and even a knack for making money... you're quite a rarity among rogue cultivators. Even if the Supreme Elders of major sects match you in strength, when it comes to freedom, they're having it nowhere near as good as you."

Luo Chen raised a brow, and he turned to face her. "If you've got something to say, just say it."

Sovereign Thatched Mountain looked slightly awkward. She gave a light cough before saying, "I have a business proposition I would like to discuss with you."